Thursday, May 9, 2013
The Board of Commissioners disagree about the need to change zoning to allow only industrial development and no more garden apartments for the River Road area.
The Nutley Board of Commissioners on Tuesday night split over whether or not to change zoning and allow industrial business while preventing any new garden apartments along part of River Road. Commissioner Joseph Scarpelli agreed to table the change after another commissioner said the board needs more information and discussion about the need for the move. One major issue is determining how many new students have been added to schools by new apartment construction in the East Centre Street area. Nutley officials have said they are concerned with an increase in the housing density in Nutley and how that change affects increased needs for services and rising school enrollment. Scarpelli proposed changing the zoning from the existing uses of …
Friday, April 5, 2013
The Board of Commissioners rewarded by the state for sound finances, while it also supports the opposition to draining reservoirs and goes out to bid for annual road repairs contract.
The Nutley Board of Commissioners approved a 2013 municipal budget self-audit, going to bids for road repairs and supported opposing drainage of three reservoirs, at the Tuesday night meeting. First, Commissioner Thomas Evans told the other board members that the township's financial record-keeping history allows the board to conduct its own annual budget examination. "We are approved to self-audit because of the quality of our financial situation," Evans said. “Normally, the DCA (state Division of Community Affairs) would insist on doing this itself, but it allows a municipality to do its own if we're in good financial standing." The resolution from Evans states that, "the state Division of Local Government Services has determined that …
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
The Board of Commissioners hire an architect, and accept half of a $300,000 Roche grant to hire a professional planner to find replacement business.
Nutley officials have selected an architect to envison the future of the huge Nutley/Clifton campus soon to be vacated by Roche pharmaceuticals. The Nutley Board of Commissioners on Tuesday night approved master plan architect EE&K, a Perkins Eastman Co., to assist Nutley in the redevelopment of the Roche property. Roche officials told the Nutley commission last June that the campus will close by the end of 2013 and the 127-acre site will be vacated by 2015. Roche, the town's biggest employer, was known for its groundbreaking research. It is leaving the iconic 127-acre campus straddling Nutley and Clifton on Route 3. The company paid about $9 million in property tax to Nutley last year. "We have resolutions for a shared service grant …
Thursday, March 28, 2013
Assemblyman Ralph Caputo meeting with state officials to seek funding of "Corporate Disinvestment Property Tax Relief" bill.
State officials are moving to bring tax relief to Nutley to offset the loss of more than $9 million in a year tax revenue shortfall caused by the departure of Roche Pharmaceuticals. State Assemblyman Ralph Caputo said Wednesday that he is meeting with members of the state Finance Committee to try and secure funding for the "Corporate Disinvestment Property Tax Relief Act" bill. "We have moved it through committee, but getting the funding will be a heavy lift," Caputo said. He said the bill would apply to neighboring Clifton, after Bergen County officials asked for the city to be named, but the bill would also apply to any town that meets the criteria. "With all of the major corporations and businesses that are leaving New Jersey, many …
Sunday, March 24, 2013
The Board of Commissioners Friday reduces $329,000 from the operating budget and $900,000 from capital improvement projects after spending extra days looking for cuts.
The Nutley Board of Commissioners introduced a preliminary $50 million 2013 Municipal Budget Friday morning after trimming an additional $329,000 from operating expenses and nearly $1 million more from capital improvement projects. About 57 percent of properties assessed values stayed the same, but 43 percent lost value, so computing any average tax increase is not possible, Commissioner Thomas Evans said. Evans said the majority of the $629,000 increase in the operating budget came from increases in health care costs, while the second largest increase comes from money set for economic development projects. The total loss of assessed value was more than $100 million, or nearly 2.5 percent of the $3.41 billion in total property values, …
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
The Board of Commissioners aims to cut a minimum of $180,000 before introducing the 2013 municipal budget Friday, and also vows to reduce capital improvement spending by $1 million.
The Nutley Board of Commissioners aim to slash the 2013 municipal budget by at least $180,000 and trim at least $1 million from capital improvement spending. The board is scheduled to introduce a budget of approximately $55 million at a special Friday morning continuance of Tuesday's meeting. The introduction and spending cuts are needed to meet the state-mandated deadline and to reduce the budget to less than a 2 percent increase, according to Commissioner Thomas Evans, director of the Department of Revenue and Finance. "I need you all to really look at all of your department budgets, and to cut as much out as you can, then give the numbers to my department by Thursday morning," Evans said. "We have to cut at least $180,000 to get our tax…
Sunday, March 10, 2013
The Board of Commissioners continue to explore ways to make Nutley more business friendly, this time focusing on restaurants with outdoor seating.
The Nutley Board of Commissioners talked more about how to make the township more business friendly last week. The board agreed in February to appoint members to an Economic Development Advisory Committee to entice businesses and families to come to the township. Discussions focused on encouraging outdoor seating at restaurants and more generally the board's ability to change existing regulations to favor business. Commissioner Thomas Evans was absent Tuesday but had told the board last month that residents with skills, experience and professional expertise will be asked to recommend ideas about the broader aspects of business and development in Nutley. The purpose of establishing the committee is to have a small, but inclusive group of …
Monday, March 4, 2013
The Board of Commissioners approves placing emergency generators in town buildings, applies for a walking trail handicapped accessibility grant, and hires a grant writing company.
The Nutley Board of Commissioners moved to improve safety at town buildings in an emergency, applied for a grant to make walking trails handicapped accessible and hired a grant writer at the Feb. 19 public meeting. Mayor Alphonse Petracco introduced a resolution placing emergency generators in five buildings as part of the township's official Hazard Mitigation Plan. The buildings "provide critical life-saving and life-sustaining community services as a priority," according to Petracco's resolution. The plan includes the Department of Parks and Recreation building at 44 Park Ave., which is used for shelter capabilities in an emergency, along with the Department of Public Safety on Chestnut Street, for use as an emergency operations center. …
Sunday, February 24, 2013
The Nutley Board of Commissioners officially designate all of Franklin Avenue at a residential speed limit of 25 miles per hour.
Nutley officials are setting the speed limit on Franklin Avenuie at 25 miles per hour to make it easier for police enforce speeding violations. The ordinance, introduced at the Feb. 19 Nutley Board of Commissioners public meeting, establishes a 25 mph speed limit on Franklin Avenue from the Belleville border to the Clifton border. Mayor Alphonse Petracco and Commissioner Thomas Evans invited the township's traffic expert to explain the reasons behind the proposed change. Jack Barry, a township employee who oversees traffic regulations, said the change was neeeded because the state changed changed the legal category of Franklin Avenue. "We are establishing the residential speed limit of 25, since Franklin Avenue is no longer considered a …
Friday, February 22, 2013
The Nutley Board of Commissioners is soliciting residents with professional expertise for ways to attract businesses and families to the township.
The Nutley Board of Commissioners this week agreed to appoint members to an Economic Development Advisory Committee tasked with enticing businesses and families to come to the township. Commissioner Thomas Evans told the board that residents with skills, experience and professional expertise will be asked to recommend ideas about the broader aspects of business and development in Nutley. "The purpose of establishing the committee is to have a small but inclusive group of folks prepare a report on how to make Nutley a more friendly place for businesses and families," Evans said. "We would decide then which ideas are ultimately feasible, both economically and for other reasons." As an example Evans said Superintendent of Schools Russell …
John LaCorte
8:10 am on Saturday, May 11, 2013
try cleaning up area around it first east centre not the nicest area more ›